The Minute of Truth

It’s been a little over two decades since the legendary Watchman hit store shelves and shook the comic book world from the ground up. Now DC has the difficult task of following up a comic book that was thought could never be followed, or even matched for that matter. So, tasked over the next few months, the “Before Watchmen” series of books will have the opportunity to sink or float. The first book to jump into the freezing cold waters, Minutemen #1.

Minutemen #1 is narrated by Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl, reminiscing his younger and not always better days as part of the crime fighting team, the Minutemen. All these memories brought on by his attempt at writing his yet to be famous autobiography, Under the Hood. This first issue is a shotgun of information to brain, revealing a quick and detailed formation of the Minutemen. Each team member’s story, from the first Nite Owl himself to Captain Metropolis, the logistical brains of the operation, are covered. Byron Lewis (Mothman) had the most frightening and incredible story, one that left me breathless thinking about the actual “living” portion of a life. It was a very eye opening experience to say the least.

I’m pleased to say that Minutemen #1 is a worthy prequel to the Watchmen franchise. Darwyn Cooke‘s writing fits the dark and surreal feel we’ve come to expect from Watchmen. His art, while not being similar to the first Watchmen, is great and has a very dark animated super hero look to it, much like the Emmy Award winning Batman: The Animated Series. But can you really match or even use the Watchmen art? The art is from the late 1980’s, while being classic, it has to remain just that, classic. I’m glad Darwyn Cooke took a hold of the reigns and went in the direction he did. While still remaining in the Watchman universe, Minutemen #1 managed to come out with it’s own voice ready to be heard and loved by the masses.

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